Senate committee briefed on COVID impacts to students

“I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire 25 year career in higher education” remarked Jaime Nolan in response to the inequities the COVID pandemic has brought to light among students in higher education. Nolan, WSU Associate Vice President of Human Relations and Diversity, presented yesterday in a virtual work session for the Senate Higher Education Committee which tackled the various impacts COVID-19 has had on student services.

Panelists from the state’s community college system and public baccalaureate institutions spoke to how COVID has impacted all facets of their universities including admissions, enrollment, instruction, and student success. Nolan shared efforts that WSU has made across its system to continue connecting students to resources in order to address challenges they face and that the pandemic has amplified. Among these efforts was a virtual event last week organized by the Undocumented Initiatives Program in the Division of Student Affairs, where university administrators from throughout the WSU campuses showcased resources for students in attendance.

As the university learns about the inequities exposed by the pandemic and recession, Nolan noted that “We’re looking to do things differently, and as we do, we’re learning about how this moment can inform better practices into the future – even as we are one day face to face again.”

You can watch Nolan’s presentation below. The entire two-hour work session can be found here.